I didn't feel like posting for awhile. There are some Christian forums I've been using for years and I do go to those everyday. And with Facebook games and everything, it's hard to keep track and post on every forum I'd like to. I didn't feel like posting here for awhile. I got diagnosed with breast cancer. I don't want people you know feeling sorry for me but more to raise awareness, you don't have to be "old" to have it. Please get checked by a doctor if you have any questions. I was originally told it was eczema. It's skin-related, not lumps. Focus is put on lumps, but it's not always the case. I kind of got mad at people on one of the sites I use, so here I am. I am taking a Conservation Forestry and Wildlife course and Lesson 2 is called The Human Population Problem. What a good name. I am learning a lot and it is really helping with my decision to be child-free, I do have some weak moments. My fiance's cousin is fostering a baby, and hoping to eventually adopt. I can understand that, but not having my own when there are so many children out there.
I'm sorry you've had this terrible diagnosis. What's the course of treatment? I worry about this all the time. I had a lump a few years ago, I was about 38 and I got my first mammogram but my breast tissue is so dense they had to use ultrasound to see the lump. It was only fluid, nothing to worry about, but because my tissue is so dense and there is some family history of it, I was told to be looked at regularly, with ultrasound, too. That was when I was living in Tulsa, being treated at the breast center there, using my military insurance. Now I live in San Diego and I go to the Naval Hospital, but the game is so different there. I've had to fight every step of the way to get regular exams, and the nonchalant attitude does not make me feel any better. My next door neighbor has extremely dense breast tissue, too, and got a mammogram at the Naval Hospital and was told everything was just fine, and a few weeks later she felt a lump and was told she was in stage 3 breast cancer. She's okay now after treatment, but it shouldn't have to come to that.
I hope things go well and you keep us up to date.
(11-07-2009 11:10 PM)anastasia Wrote: [ -> ]I'm sorry you've had this terrible diagnosis. What's the course of treatment? I worry about this all the time. I had a lump a few years ago, I was about 38 and I got my first mammogram but my breast tissue is so dense they had to use ultrasound to see the lump. It was only fluid, nothing to worry about, but because my tissue is so dense and there is some family history of it, I was told to be looked at regularly, with ultrasound, too. That was when I was living in Tulsa, being treated at the breast center there, using my military insurance. Now I live in San Diego and I go to the Naval Hospital, but the game is so different there. I've had to fight every step of the way to get regular exams, and the nonchalant attitude does not make me feel any better. My next door neighbor has extremely dense breast tissue, too, and got a mammogram at the Naval Hospital and was told everything was just fine, and a few weeks later she felt a lump and was told she was in stage 3 breast cancer. She's okay now after treatment, but it shouldn't have to come to that.
I hope things go well and you keep us up to date.
Wow. It really is scary. Mammograms are great, but I do think the ultrasounds need to be used too. I'm only 23 years old, and fortunately living in Canada. it will be chemotherapy, and surgery later. my shift key is not working now, so i cannot capitalize any letters-this keyboard does this sometimes. i am thankful my doctor didn't just push me aside telling me i had eczema. i used eczema cream, and was to get a biopsy after 1 week. i honestly thought my skin was getting better, and this apparently happens. and then it got worse and worse. i don't run to the doctor as often as i should, i really should have gone more often. my dad developed type 2 diabetes at a young age. there were a lot of warning signs i had ignored so i want to help other people. i gained at least 50 lbs., and went from a b cup to a c cup... things like that. and i had planned to get married and kept pushing the wedding date back to please my mom, but she is never happy, no matter what i do. we finally said april 24, 2010 and everything was fine, and then my mom was okay, until i got diagnosed. it's hard to plan a wedding with the uncertainty but i am trying to do it.
My gods, you've got a lot of crap dumped on you all at once, at such a young age no less. You don't need all this shit, but you've got it, and I feel for you. I know what it's like to have a mother who cannot be pleased no matter what, and I know what it's like to have medical worries, and I hope you can get through all this and everything turns out okay--from your treatment to the wedding to you getting on with your life happily. In my experience this message board has always been a great place for caring friends, and I've been here for a few years now. You can always unload on us.
I'm so sorry for your diagnosis, but hope things will be better for you. My mother had it at 48 (actually, also considered a relatively young age -- and get this, one day I'm filling out medical forms and can say I have "no history of cancer in my family", then the next I not only have to say I do, but her "young age" means I now have something like triple the risk of getting it!). But that was 13 years ago, with no recurrence. I hope all will be well for you, too.
((paris)) I'm so sorry to hear this. Please let us know how we can help. We're here for you. Your youth is on your side as you face this - you'll be stronger than us old folks.
The class you are taking sounds very interesting - something like that should be required in high school. I took an environmental class in college where the professor hammered all semester that the most pressing environmental problem was human overpopulation. This was 20 years ago and the students were UPSET. No one wanted to believe him. What a great guy he was, wish I had appreciated him more at the time for his courage.
Anyway - keep us posted on how you are doing. They say that good thoughts and prayer helps from afar - you'll be in our thoughts and prayers.
You know what is really strange? I've used a website since 2004. You think I'd have some friends on that website, I really don't. I find a lot of the Christian websites I use have their little cliques and popular people-kind of like high school. I don't have children, obviously, and I sometimes get tired of all the threads on parenting. But I do feel quite alone on those sites I've used for several years. I feel more welcome here. I have Asperger's Syndrome which isn't a huge deal, but people get so mad to me on other sites I had to put "I have Asperger's Syndrome in my signature", it makes me feel like I am 'apologizing' for having this condition.
I will definitely use this site more and be with like-minded people, and I think everyone on here is truly fantastic.
Paris04,
Welcome back to the boards! It's always great to hear from people that have been away.
I want to say that I am really sorry to hear about all the things that you are having to endure, but just remember........
You will always get a ton of support for being CF here!
Welcome back!
(11-07-2009 10:03 PM)paris04 Wrote: [ -> ]I don't want people you know feeling sorry for me but more to raise awareness, you don't have to be "old" to have it. Please get checked by a doctor if you have any questions.
I'm sorry you are going through cancer, but I am thankful you put this comment in there. I need to schedule my yearly mammogram & almost forgot. I've had them every year since I was 34 since my mom & her sister had breast cancer. (((HUGS))) I am glad to see ya back! Please keep us posted on how you're doing!
I'm glad I helped you remember. I just want to help other people. Inflammatory Breast Cancer and Paget's Disease of Nipple and/or Breast, both are types of cancer, no lumps, and it's skin related. I really just thought I had a skin condition. It started in the winter, so I was thinking dry skin, didn't think too much of it. It became very itchy, and very irritated, cracking, oozing, etc. I'd think the 'dry skin' was getting better-and websites mention this, it will suddenly get better... and then comes back worse than before. It started out as a small area, and kept getting bigger and bigger. June 23, I was told to use an eczema cream for a week, and go back for a biopsy. I honestly thought the cream helped. It was a very small patch, and then it went EVERYWHERE. I kept pushing it off, I didn't want to know. So, October came, 4 months later, and I couldn't stand it anymore, it was NOT getting better... and then that's when all the biopsy stuff started... it's almost like part of me had known all this time... we honestly know ourselves and when something is wrong-we sometimes know better than any doctor...
Paris:
I want to tell you that I am so sorry that you are having to go through this. I hope you have an easy and speedy recovery and that your wedding goes perfectly.
But I'm also extremely happy that you decided to share this with us. I do checks for lumps but I absolutely had NO IDEA that breast cancer can come on without lumps. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for making us aware of this type of breast cancer. Because of you, I will probably be more aware of the signs of breast cancer and I will probably be more likely to get something taken care of sooner than later.
Thank you.